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Wingham Advance-Times, 1977-07-13, Page 4itre ACE T.I \',�:?\ti\:< \:;'.• :`::;,�\i? �.:. J : �, ti� .. E��,' `i;;:`,` �t.r� ;i'�`ii'iti3::;,; ,.. . i�;.: � r ti;;o-;;�?\� ;'tij3:;,-•r:32.<:;y:�:;� �:-'.•. � "2::�:'t � iF: 'i < �Si �: • They need the m��ney There were no dissenting voices in the On- tario Legislature last week as the members voted unanimously to provide themselves with an increase in pay. Under the ferms of that decision the stipends of the members will be increased by $4,800 in two steps: $2,400 before the end of September and a similar amount after that date. The two-step arrangement was decided upon in order to comply with regulations of the Anti-inflation Board. Before being voted this raise MPPs were getting $22,500 a year, a portion of which was in non-taxable expense accounts. The members who live outside Toronto get $4,200 extra because they must maintain more than one place of residence. After the increase the average member will be earning about $29,000. To some taxpayers that figure may seem extremely generous. On the other hand, compared with thousands of profes- sional and rofes-sionaland skilled people the MPPs are doing their jobs at bargain rotes. q4 We contend that the service provided us by an elected representative is just as im- portant as a senior education official who gets $40,000 or a company vice-president who may be getting $50 or $60 thousand. Members of parliament and of the legisla- ture fall into the same ambiguous category as ministers of the gospel: if they are at- tracted to the job only for the high pay, their hearts are not in the right place. On the other hand, however, if we don't provide adequate salaries the best people available will simply apply their talents to other and more remunerative occupations. We have to strike a happy medium. The financial demands upon an elected representative are multitude. He or she is expected to donate to every cause without hesitation. The member must spend both time and money shuttling. back and forth between the seat of government 'and his home constituency. He must at all times be ,well dressed; his car dare not show rust; his wife and kids must look their best at all times and his home `°Pisa` to indicate his success in the world. Nor does the member enjoy such simple pleasures as a quiet weekend with the family. As soon as he gets inside the front door after his trip from the city the telephone is jumping off the desk and the front door bell is pealing out the urgency of local prob- lems. He and his family rarely can afford the time or expense of a couple of weeks at a cottage or an evening by the fireside. On the job in Toronto he puts in working days that would make a union member shout for strike action. The legislature often sits in session all afternoon and well into the evening. He can't sleep in after a late night at the House because he is slated for two or three com- mittee meetings before the day's session starts. If there are a few spare moments the member is usually doing his homework by poring over reports and summaries so he will be reasonably well informed when de- cisions are to be reached. Sure there are some lazy members who don't go through all that hassle but most of the ones we know are conscientious and extremely hard working. They deserve their latest increase. An exquisite creati 'Last week it was announced that the United States has manufactured and exploded a "clean" bomb, hailed as a magnificent advance iri the art of killing. The neutron bomb, exploded deep in a desert cavern, is designed to kill all humans within a half mile radius of the point of impact, but would thus spare innocent bystanders, presumably civilians, the dirty effectsof nuclear fall -out. My, what a comforting thought for all the parents of sons at service- able military age' The announcement also carried the spe- culation that the neutron bomb is at least seven years ahead of any similar Soviet weapon. That indicates, of course, that in the event of war breaking out any time before 1984 our side can save the helpless women and children of central Europe from nasty radiation sickness, but on this side of the water the old folks will just have to take it and like it. It seems to be generally agreed that unless we stay ahead of the potential enemy of the development of new and more efficient killing tools we could be in danger of inviting attack because of our own weakness, but who can help wondering where the race will halt? There is something grossly obscene n about the science of killing. Personally we cannot avoid the impression that the modern scientist whose life is devoted to the craft of death is somehow very much like the/ancient headsman in his black hood, hefting his axe above the block. Necessary, but so very evil. Scarcely less horrible is ,the growing po- tential for destruction which accumulates in the form of by-products from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Though'the general public is .far from well informed on the sub- ject it is slowly 'becoming evident that the nuclear wastes from the heavy water generating stations are not only lethal in their present form, but contain plutonium which is the vital ingredient in nuclear bombs. Hopefully our own country will never want to dig uplhose deadly garbage dumps, but think of the temptation they offer to a future agressor seeking a ready-made diamond mine of destruction. The human race is brilliant when' it comes to startling new discoveries. Perhaps we are less than wise about the ultimate conse- quences of our progress. The Bible indicates • that the world's final destruction will be amid a fiery holocaust. Science has made that vague prophecy a screaming pos- sibility. 4;" ossibility.y Nothing is impossible Watching the opening of a ball game on television the other evening our thoughts were Ped to the strange and wonderful changes which can be affected by the passage of time. Before the game started a band played the American national anthem. As' the stirring notes of The Star Spangled Banner rang forth the huge crowd rose to its collective feet and paid its mute respect to a great nation. The incongruous note lay in the fact that the national anthem was being played in Atlanta, Georgia, and those patriotic specta- tors were the grandchildren of Southerners who fought and died in their determination that they should never be ruled by a govern- ment in Washington. If those se grandchildren are aware of their own history they must know that the hated Yankee, General Sherman, captured, sacked and burned their own city, Atlanta. One would imagine that the descendants of such a race of patriots would forever bear the mental scars of defeat. But no, they are good and proud Americans — living proof that even a conqueror who deals in the price- less commodities of justice and equality may eventually merit the loyalty of the defeated. It is impossible to avoid comparison with the dissident faction in Canada. The civil war in the United States was one of the bit- terest in history. The suffering was im- mense, in part because great advances had been made in ° the perfection of explosive artillery shells which killed and wounded soldiers on an unprecedented scale. Unfort- unately medical science had not matched the advances of the military and the wounded suffered untold agonies without the benefit of anaesthetics or sedatives. Basic reason for the South's savage de- fense of their homeland was economic. The slavery system on which the South depended for its income was threatened. Although Quebec people claim economic subjugation by English Canada, their economic priva- tions are minor ones — the sort of inequalities which can be remedied under our present confederation. Indeed, many, many efforts and concessions have already been made toward that end. The extremists in Quebec can find all sorts of instances in the business life of their larger cities to justifytheir claim aim of inequality, and indeed ,the big corporations have probably been guilty of preferentlial treatment. But that sort of treatment at the hands of big business is not by any means Confined to people of the French community. The very same thing happens in Toronto and Winnipeg and Vancouver. It is simply the exercise of unlimited power on the part of corporations which feel they do not have to comply with the basic rules of fair play by which less affluent areas of society are governed. Differences in language are not the basic issue. Language will always accommodate itself to the needs of any situation. It is the underlying sense of inferiority which creates the demand for separation — a sense of in- feriority which cannot be justified by the at- titudes of English.speaking Canadians except, possibly, within the limited confines of a very few Quebec cities and corporations. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President Robert 0. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member — Canadian Coirlmunity Newspapers Assoc. Subscription $12.00 per year Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Ontario Weekly Newspapers Assoc. Six months $6.50 Return postage guaranteed t � k A a of editorial opinion :•}•:�.:"}?:`..•i:.� 8:::.y.. .: J. }.,� •.::•• v: S•. i:•}: is ij:{v;.l:•ii Wednesday, esd- yt9 JAI . 13/ Letters to the Editor MUSEUM FEATURE STIRS INTEREST Dear Editor: Just a note to express my thanks for the additional copies of the "Crossroads" edition of the three weeklies which expanded on the Ontario Agricultural Museum operation.he story has resulted in a number\of donations coming from the area and a con- siderable upsurge in interest and enthusiasm. You may be interested to know that we are proceeding, however slowly, in the development of our Exhibit Hall and included in this is the W. A. Heughan harness maker shop. It is our hope that sometime within the next two months we will have this parti- cular exhibit finished, at which time we plan to have some members of the family here to christen" it and we will have some pictures taken at that time. We will see that you get a story on it. Sincerely, R. W. Carbert, General Manager AVAILABLE ENERGY GOING TO WASTE Advance -Times Dear Editor: When the pioneers came to this part of Ontario over 100 years ago, a source of,, power was needed to saw the logs to get lumber to build the homes they needed for shelter from the severe winters we have in our Canadian climate. Power was also needed to grind the wheat into flour that these settlers needed to maintain life for themselves and their fami- lies. A solution had to be found to produce the power necessary to do these jobs and the most readily available source was the power created by the harnessing of the water in our rivers. Dams were built that created a continu- ous supply energy to provide this necessary power to run the saw- mills and flour mills along their route. Norman Wade records in his Early History of Howick Twp. that the flour mill in Corrie in 1869 produced 150 barrels of flour daily. I recall when a boy in Ashfield Twp. going with my father to the mill at Port Albert on the Nine Mile River with bags of our own wheat that we had cleaned up, etting it ground into flow- for our wn use home. We also got the ran fron-this wheat to use for aking or livestock feed There were similar mills all long the Maitland River from L,akelet to Goderich including ills at Fordwich, Gorrie, Blue - ale, Brussels. Wingham, uburn, Benmiller and possibly thIers. In the Village of Lucknow, ere'was the flour and grist mill, second grist and saw mill and a ooll .,and later flax mill, all ithi the village and all power from the Nine Mile River; also a grist mill at Dun- gannon, Harris mill and the flour and grist mill at Port Albert that I mentioned previously. There were also light plants operated by water from these same rivers at Wingham and Lucknow. None of these facilities are now in operation but the water still flows on its way to Lake Huron. Why the change? When ng Ontario g 0 b b a m v A 0 th a w w Hydro took over in the province, in order to gain a monopoly it bought up and closed down these local power facilities just to gain control of pricing and set uniform rates for us all to pay. If it was necessary for the pioneers to harness the power in the rivers 100 years ago, it may again be necessary for future 'generations to again make use of this energy source to provide us with the power we are going 'to need in this energy hungry country. Suggestions are being asked for" the use of the old mill in Gorrie. If the dam were restored- on the Maitland, possiblythe water' power could be used to generate electricity to supply lighting for the town and surrounding area and the mill be used as a generat- ing station. The water supply might be low at times, but our first electric plant on the farm was a Delco Plant with storage' batteries,cn to be the source of u energy when the plant was not running. Could a somewhat simi- lar set up supply energy in times of low water? By Murray Gaunt,' MPP Huron -Bruce If the water power, that was formerly used to power the mills along these rivers were turned into electric power today it might go a long way in supplying energy for this area. I was in Nova Scotia a few years ago and I was told that one river that crosses the south end of the province had six generating stations in a distance of about 30 miles. Could we not harness some of this energy going to waste? Elmer J. Parrish Report from -Queen's Park The 31st Ontario Legislature has opened for a post election cleanup of leftover business and a backlog of several important bills. The provincial treasurer, up- dated his April budget statement, by indicating that unemployment still remains a worrisome issue in the prow ce,- but prospects' do look better in the next few months. 'As well, revenues are about $140 million less than fore- cast in April. The government has dropped its proposal to introduce a five cent tax on all pop cans hi the face of stiff opposition to the measure in the Legislature. Approval has been given to a change' in Ontario speed limits from miles to kilometres, effec- tive September 6. Provincial work crews will begin making the changes after Labor Day. Thirty mph becomes 50 kph; 50 mph be- comes 80 kph; and 60 mph be- comes 100 kph. 0--0--0 The treasurer, Darcy Mc - Keough, announced changes in the Municipal Elections Act, the main features of which change the election date for all munici- palities from the first Monday in December to the third Monday in November. The mandatory ad- vance polls will facilitate voting as early as the middle of Nov- ember. There has been considerable discussion about changing the municipal term of office. How- ever, the bill leaves the term at the present two-year limit. A new provision in the bill is the prohibition of any form of caff1 . paign literature within the polling place. Candidates will no longer be required to have their occupa- tions listed on nomination papers or on the ballot. Provision has , been made to require municipal polls to be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., which is consistent with the polling hours for provincial elec- tions. Finally, any eligible elector will now be entitled to vote on a money bylaw question. 0-0-0 The minister of agriculture this week introduced a bill, which subsequestly received third read- ing, to protect framers against the bankruptcy of those who pur- chase their produce. The bill, called "An Act to Amend the Farm Products Pay- ments Act", is in effect a prompt TODAY CHILD BY HELEN ALLEN Gwen, just turned nine, is a charming girl working hard to overcome the handicap of deafness. Her hearing is moderately impaired in the right ear, and profoundly in the left. Doctors are not recommending surgery and she hears fairly well with her hearing aid. Because of her hearing problem she is behind in school but she is very determined and perseveres in anything she tries to do. There is good achievement in her background and Gwen should do well if she is able to get the understanding aid special help she needs to deal with her handicap. An appealing looking girl, Gwen has blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. Active and healthy, she likes energetic games l&�' and riding her bike. She enjoys picture books. Gwen is always eager to help with chores around her foster home. She has spent some time on a farm where she was interested in the animals and gentle with thea. Gwen gets on well with children both older and younger and she enjoys adult company. She could fit anywhere into a family as long as the mother and father have the time and the desire to give her the attention and special care she needs. To inquire about adopting Gwen, please write to Today's Child, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Box 888, Station K, Toronto M4P 2H2. In your letter tell something of your present family and your way of life. For general information about adoption contact your.local Children's Aid Society. ,F{ i • ::. /.,'.!r'>%iir'::y: �.; •nf;:y! %;;};.v: �•'f:i':-:Y.: q;}•.::}:? :: i. � i'p:..:.:......: :::.. .. ......... payment bill to enable any com- modity group to participate and each such group would be respon- sible for the operation of its own fund to ensure payment to farm- ers in case of bankruptcy on the part of a purchaser. The government would start any commodity group fund by providing seed money of $25,000, and thereafter the fund would operate by deductions from farmers and dealers or pur- chasers. Each commodity group fund will operate under its own regula- tions so that each commodity can tailor the operation of the fund to its particular circumstances and conditions. The Ontario Cattlemen's As- sociation has proposed a prompt payment requirement of 48 hours after delivery of the livestock. This is provided for under pre- sent enabling legislation, and could be done by regulation of the Cattlemen's' Association fund, should one be set up. The legislation is good and is something that I have been pro- moting for some time. it is pro- tection the farmers deserve and should have. VOYAGE: A NOVEL OF 1896 by Sterling Hayden Using the shipping industry as a microcosm for one of the most turbulent periods in our history, this wide -canvas, tumultuous novel is at once a rousing tale of , the sea, an incisive portrait of the rich during the Gilded Age of robber barons, a tough look at the first stirrings of the labor move- ment, and an epic vision of a watershed year in American history. Sterling Hayden has written a novel of rugged power and epic dimension. Teeming with fascinating characters; rich with authentic historical detail, this sweeping saga of America on the verge of the 20th century displays a master storyteller in the finest workof his career. TELL HIM THAT I HEARD by Patricia Hangen On May 31, 1970, Welles Han - gen, head of the NBC bureau in Hong Kong, was captured in Cambodia, along with several other newsmen, presumably by Viet Cong troops. They have been missing since that day, and all the efforts of hundreds of diplo- mats and officials — Asian, European, and American — have failed to produce dependable word about their fate. Pat Hangen, Welles' wife, here lays little stress on what it has cost her and their small children to keep :ring throughout the years of( silerre Instead, she gives us t e high -s 5i.Q1 story of life as she ar, _Wtes lived it on the exp o4ing newsfronts of the world: lis a story of harmony and shared commitment in the midst of chaos and danger: a true story of married love of the sort that thousands of us yearn to'read and -rarely find. NOT DYING by Francis Robert Rodman, MD A few weeks after an almost perfect skiing holiday with her husband and two young daugh- ters, Maria Rodman had an emergency hysterectomy at the age of 37. Shortly afterward her husband, a.California psychoana- lyst, was told that her problem was malignantand probably hopeless, With extraordinary honesty and feeling Dr. Rodman des- cribes what happened between that time and Maria's death some months later in Sweden, her childhood home. CODE NAME "ZORRO": The Murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Mark Lane and Dick' Gregory Was James Earl Ray the soli- tary assassin, or a "JJcka]"-like hired killer? Was he an unwitting pawn in a far-reaching con- spiracy? In CODE NAME "ZORRO, " the authors supply you - perhaps 'the only jury that will ever con- sider the evidence - with the same explosive information that prompted Congressional leaders to form a special committee to undertake the controversial and infinitely painful task of reopen- ing an investigation not only of the King murder but also of the Kennedy assassinatign.